Elie Tahari Goes Greywire

Elie Tahari’s latest venture, a company specializing in denim called Greywire, will launch this spring with about 20 styles of jeans for men and women that will be complemented by jackets, knit and woven tops, pants and shorts, Women’s Wear Daily reports.

Denim aficionado Micheal Press will head up the company after earning experience at Diesel, Polo Jeans, AG Adriano Goldschmied, Page Denim, Earnest Sewn, and most recently, he was the president of textiles at Elizabeth and James.

“Elie is a man who can outfit a woman in a $5,000 dress and still look at putting her into a $140 pair of jeans with exactly the same passion,” Press told WWD. “I’ve worked with people who just don’t have the same passion when they take the product to a lower price. And with the onslaught of the H&Ms and the Topshops of the world, price has become an issue but it can’t ever be a justification for a product that isn’t overwhelmingly strong. People don’t want to have to spend $250 to get something great. We’re aiming for attainable luxury here.”

The line will offer women a selection of skinny, boot cut, straight leg, flare, and boyfriend styles while for men can look forward to relaxed, slim boot cut, and tapered straight leg jeans to rock. Fashion pieces will retail at $200 and above and jeans under $100 — all with a selvage rear belt or waistband loop, a simple linear “gray wire” on the back pockets, and rivets and buttons bearing the brand.